Gilbert leads bill at Chattanooga tribute concert

Thursday, September 17, 2015 – Brantley Gilbert paid homage to five murdered military members yesterday during Chattanooga Unite: A Tribute on the River" before 80,000 people.

Trace Adkins, Colt Ford, Aaron Lewis, Jamey Johnson and Harry Connick Jr. also participated in the concert to remember the five, who were killed in July by Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, who shot people at two military installations in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Gilbert closed the day-long event with number one hits like "Country Must Be Country Wide," "Bottoms Up" and "One Hell of an Amen."

Last month, Gilbert announced the special concert on-air with local radio station WUSY.

"We all know why we're here. We're here to mourn and we're here to grieve but we're also here to celebrate the lives and the legacies of those we lost," Gilbert began from the two-story tall Riverbend stage. "We can't bring your husbands, brothers or sons back, but hopefully we can make you smile tonight," directing his thank you to the families of the fallen soldiers.

The tribute kicked off with an Armed Forces parade, memorial ceremony and remembrance followed by a Blue Angels flyover. Chattanooga native and actor Samuel L. Jackson emceed the event.

Donations from the free event will be added to the initial $230,000 presented to The National Compassion Fund yesterday. The families of the five fallen soldiers will benefit from the Chattanooga Unite funds raised. Donations are still being taken via http://www.chattanoogaunite.org.

CD reviews for Brantley Gilbert

It would be easy (and lazy journalism) to write about how much Brantley Gilbert's music is un-country. You need only isolate the drum parts for most of these latest songs to confirm this is primarily a rock recording (masked as country). However, there are some quality - if not exactly country - songs on this effort, which cry out for a different sort of evaluation.
Gilbert saves his best for last with "Man That Hung The Moon," a song about fatherhood that will likely bring many dads to tears. »»»

For those fans worrying over the potential demise of bro country, rest easy; Brantley Gilbert is here to keep that flag flying high. Comprised of a solid set of radio ready rockers alongside a few tamer numbers, Gilbert sets out to prove the establishment wrong, rolling his way through 16 tales of hard living and partying. Yet, while Gilbert holds strong to the "bro country" stance, he's also very much his own man, allowing his faith and values to pull front and center as well. »»»

With the third version of Brantley Gilbert's "Just as I Am," he has almost doubled the average country album track listing. The definitive Platinum Edition contains 19 tracks that feature his trademark rock inflected country sound. The original 11 tracks are still intact, with the addition of the 3 songs from the original deluxe edition. Added on at the end are five new songs that largely fit well with the tone of the album.
Those who originally purchased the regular edition »»»

Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»

Concert Review: The Lil Smokies provide the perfect antidote –
On a night when the world to be falling further apart thanks to coronavirus (this would be the night the NBA postponed the season), there stood The Lil Smokies to at least in some small measure save the day.
The quintet is part of a generation of musicians with bluegrass as the basis, but not totally the sum of the music either.... »»»

Concert Review: White makes the case for himself, no matter how dark the music –
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Linda Gail Lewis has several interesting bullet points on her lengthy resume. She released her first singles in 1963 at age 16, and her first solo album, "The Two Sides of Linda Gail Lewis," in 1969 when she was just 22; her follow up album wouldn't appear... »»»

Welcome country traditionalist Tessy Lou Williams who hails from Montana, the daughter of two musicians who emigrated from Nashville to Willow Creek, Mont. (population 210). Her parents toured with their »»»

After a seven-year hiatus, Marshall Chapman is back with "Songs I Can't Live Without," her 14th release and eighth on her own label. The 71-year-old singer-songwriter-author-actress had intended to retire from music »»»

Nine songs in, Sara Evans finally unleashes a country song that she wanted to cover. And it's one of the most copied songs at that - Hank's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." The cut is a decided left turn from the rest »»»